Long was there for the birth before dashing off to training in the morning and then travelling to the Midlands with the rest of the Royals squad yesterday afternoon by coach.

Speaking after training yesterday, a clearly elated Long said: “It’s an amazing feeling and you can’t really get yourself ready for it.

“I’m delighted to be a father and I hope I can celebrate with a goal today. Everything is well, she’s two weeks early, but healthy.

"At the moment she’s just called "Baborg" as we decide on the name. The nursery at home was done about three months ago.

“In Ireland we have something called “nesting” where everything has to be sorted and in its place ready for when the baby comes.”

The pacy striker who has eight goals to his name this season was a second-half subsitute when Royals lost 1-0 to the Foxes in October as he came off the bench for Simon Church at Madejski Stadium.

But Long, who has never changed dirty nappies or held a baby before, has many fond memories of playing at the Walkers Stadium where just one day shy of being exactly four years ago Royals made history.

Royals secured a 1-1 draw thanks to best-friend and former team-mate Kevin Doyle’s 85th-minute equaliser that earned Reading promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their 135-year history.